Secrets of the Castle
by Tattysecondhandbook
Summary: Beca Mitchell was inscrutable, and Chloe Beale was curious. Follow through their years at Hogwarts, discovering themselves, each other, and a few secrets along the way.


Chloe Beale hadn't known a lot of things.

She knew that the sun rose in the East and set in the West. She knew that summer turned to autumn, and autumn turned to winter, and winter to spring, and spring to summer. She knew that her hair was redder than most, and she knew that her favourite food was pancakes.

Other than that, Chloe Beale hadn't known a lot of things.

She hadn't known that at aged eleven she would receive a mysterious letter through the post addressed to her, with a red circular seal and emerald green ink written on parchment. She hadn't known her mother was a witch and her father a squib. She hadn't known that she would be accepted into a school she didn't technically sign up for.

She hadn't known magic was _real_.

Upon arriving to be sorted on September 1st, Chloe hadn't known why she was accepted into the school – nearly everybody else but her had two or more syllables in their last name. And her mother had told her that last names were used more frequently than first names at Hogwarts, and that she shouldn't question it. Chloe had wondered if she would be expelled for having a non-desirable last name. She wondered if she would have to work extra hard to prove herself, because her name was a tell-tale sign that she wasn't supposed to be there. Her best friend, Aubrey Posen (notice the two syllables of her last name) had told her to stop being delusional. She hadn't known that the Posens were magical too. That their mothers had met at Hogwarts, not at University like she had been told.

So, Chloe Beale hadn't known a lot of things.

She hadn't known that she would end up having a knack for Quidditch – the Chaser position, to be exact – or a knack for charms and transfiguration, or a complete ineptitude for potions.

Now, Chloe knew a little more than before, but she still had nowhere near enough knowledge. The summer was ending and third year was quickly approaching. Third year meant Hogsmeade. Third year meant new subjects to choose from as well as a lot more freedom. Third year was when the fun _really_ began.

Another year also meant another set of students to be sorted.

Chloe loved watching the sorting. Last year, Aubrey had caught her eye across the hall from the Ravenclaw Table and rolled her own green orbs, mouthing to Chloe that it was taking too long and she just wanted to eat, but Chloe had only stifled a small giggle and shrugged, looking back to the anxious little first years as their fate was decided for them. Everyone always said Chloe was often over-excitable, but she took it as a big compliment.

But now, she couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts.

The new subjects she had chosen this year made everything all the more exciting for her – Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies, and she'd told Professor Flitwick that she would take Muggle Music as an extra-curricular. All three had appealed to her, especially Care of Magical Creatures, and whilst Aubrey disproved of her choices ("Arithmancy is definitely more useful than Muggle Studies could ever be, Chloe."), the redhead knew she had chosen right.

Third Year also meant being able to go back on her broom again - Chloe had only gotten the chance to ride twice over the summer, with her mother's help, that is. June had created magical barriers in the forest where Chloe, her older brother and their parents camped for a week, so that the muggles couldn't see. And the redhead had really missed flying – she'd gotten used to being able to ride her Firebolt 5800 whenever she wanted at Hogwarts, even after curfew – somehow, she never got caught). It was definitely a shock to her system to go back to the muggle world without being able to kick off from the ground and spiral through the clouds, having competitions with her friend Luke about who could fly highest to the sun first (Hogwarts boundaries stopped students from flying high enough to cause oxygen shortages, so they never made it).

It was just her luck that the moment Chloe had boarded the Hogwarts Express, she'd lost Tilly. Aubrey had only rolled her eyes and laughed, whilst Luke and Tom teased her as the redhead frantically checked her pockets for the dumb toad.

"I told you not to get a toad," Aubrey snorted – that year, shopping at Diagon Alley, Aubrey and Chloe's parents had promised the girls that for both doing so well in their Second Year exams, they were allowed a pet of their choice. Aubrey had immediately caught her eyes on an Owl, claiming that it was the most useful and therefore the best pet. Chloe had taken a little longer to decide, looking at all the kittens and giggling and playing with each and every one of them. She'd always wanted a cat, but one look at the lonely toads in their section of the Menagerie changed her mind. She knew barely anybody picked toads to buy and the shop owner mentioned that a lot of them ended up dying after being left there for so long.

And so Chloe brought Tilly the Toad.

And Tilly was lost.

"You're such a Hufflepuff, Beale," Luke, a Gryffindor, chuckled lightly with a shake of her head.

"You say that like it's such a bad thing. At least I'm not in the basic house," Chloe stuck her tongue out at him playfully and rose from her seat, opening the compartment door. "I'm going to look for her."

She went from door to door, asking everyone if she'd seen her toad. Most people knew Chloe, and they all either promised to tell her if they found any toads or teased her for losing it already. She went through the entire train, getting to the very last compartment before the prefect area. Looking through the glass, Chloe saw that there was only one girl in there. She was pretty small and had headphones on, reading a book. The redhead had never seen her before, so she must be a first year. The girl had a small scowl etched onto her features, and had her wand set down on the seat next to her. She didn't look particularly friendly, but she was Chloe's last chance. She did look intriguing, though, and the Hufflepuff felt an instant pull to talk to her.

The brunette didn't look up as she entered – her music was probably too loud. Chloe tapped her on the shoulder, and the brunette jumped, glaring up at her. The girl's eyes seemed to widen ever so slightly as she took in Chloe's features, but all she did was put her headphones around her neck and raise an eyebrow.

"Hi! I'm Chloe, Chloe Beale, Third Year."

The girl just stared at her, sighing. "I'm Beca Mitchell."

"Oh! Are you Professor Mitchell's-"

"Yes. Why are you bothering me?" Beca said shortly.

The girl's coldness didn't put a dampen on Chloe's bright demeanour. "Have you seen a toad? I've lost mine, and yours is the last compartment I've asked."

Beca stared at her, clearly unimpressed. She let out another sigh and reached into her robe pocket – that was when Chloe realised she was already wearing her robes – and pulled out a stunned toad. Chloe gasped, and her face lit up with a wide smile.

"You found her! Thank you so much!" The third year tackled the first into a hug, making Beca stiffen and her eyes widen incredulously.

"It didn't stop hopping when I told it to, so enjoy your petrified toad." Beca said, lightly pushing the redhead off her and placing the toad in her hands.

Beca felt a small pang of guilt - something she didn't usually feel - when she watched Chloe's eyes widen and then sadden. Her toad looked dead. The redhead performed the counter curse and found that tilly blinked and hopped a little in her hand to look at her. Then, the toad hopped into her pocket and stayed there.

Chloe sat down in front of the brunette with a smile. Beca paused her action of putting her headphones back on and eyed her cautiously – she had been alone for a reason.

"Why are you still here?"

"You've been in here alone for over an hour and this is your first ride on the Hogwarts Express. Nobody should be alone for that," Chloe said innocently.

"Whatever you say, Red." Beca muttered, but she left her headphones around her neck.

Chloe smiled, seeing that Beca was clearly interested in holding some sort of conversation with her, even if it wasn't purely out of choice. "What house do you think you'll be sorted in?"

"Slytherin or Ravenclaw." Beca said flatly, playing with her headphone cord.

"Why?"

The small brunette half-heartedly shrugged. "Everyone on my father's side is a Ravenclaw, and my mother came from a long line of Slytherins."

"Came?" Chloe asked softly.

Beca looked up then, a sudden fierce glare matching the Hufflepuff's wide eyes. Her entire face hardened, and her jaw clenched.

Honestly, the third year was worried Beca was about to curse her for asking.

Luckily, Chloe was saved by the trolley lady popping her head through the compartment door that the redhead had left partially open.

"Anything from the Trolley, dearies?" She said.

Beca's glare shifted to the lady, and she looked back down at her book. Chloe stood up with a grin.

"How was your summer, Eloise?" She said smoothly, leaning on the door as she picked some candy.

"Excellent, Chloe, dear. Nell and I were able to get to the seaside this year."

"That's great!" Chloe said.

The two continued to chatter like old friends, moving Beca to roll her eyes and put her headphones back on. If she had to guess, this redhead was a Hufflepuff. Annoying and overly cheerful – at least that's what her mother used to say. She also clearly had no sense of when she was crossing the boundaries between friendly and personal, and the fact that she was friends with the _trolley lady_ was enough to confirm it for Beca. The first year only looked up when she heard the compartment door close and saw Chloe's legs moving back to her seat. The redhead had brought more than a few sweets – too much for anyone to finish on their own.

"Here," Chloe said, throwing Beca a box of Bertie Bott's and dumping the rest of her sweets onto the chair next to her.

Barely catching it, Beca furrowed her eyebrows at Chloe; she didn't expect the third year to have brought her anything from the trolley. "Thanks." She said slowly. "I…I didn't ask-"

"I know! But if you don't eat all day, you'll be super hungry at the feast. And being nervous about being sorted paired with an empty stomach totally left a first year to throw up last time."

Beca grimaced slightly, opening the box. "I don't get nervous."

Chloe only shrugged, popping a jelly slug into her mouth. "Don't you have friends you know are coming here? You know, considering you're a pureblood."

It was the younger girl's turn to shrug now, not bothering with a proper response.

Chloe had to resist from huffing a little – she was trying her best to make conversation, but she couldn't do much if Beca barely spoke. She looked at the headphones still securely around Beca's neck. "You know you won't be able to use those when we get to Hogwarts. No muggle technology."

"My dad promised to bewitch my iPod and these. It's the least he can do."

"Why is it-?"

"Jesus _Christ!"_ Beca exclaimed, her scowling face looking up from her book to glare at the older girl sitting across from her. "How many basic answers will it take for you to stop asking things?!"

Chloe immediately looked hurt, making Beca feel as though she'd just kicked a puppy, but the redhead surprisingly scoffed.

"You know, most people would appreciate someone trying to make conversation with them when they have no friends and are clearly miserable sitting in a compartment all alone." Chloe matched her glare, her frustration getting the better of her.

"I'm not most people." Beca spat fiercely, her strong voice coinciding with her hardened features. "So don't bother."

"Maybe I won't next time. Let's see how far being a bitch gets you," Chloe stood up, snatching the sweets she brought for the two of them to share, and storming out, the door slamming behind her.

"Yeah, let's see." Beca muttered under her breath, picking up her book hotly and continuing where she left off.

She didn't need _anyone._ She hadn't needed anyone for the past three years; not her father, not her grandparents, not the stupid muggle teachers who begged her to talk to them. And she definitely didn't need any overly-friendly third years butting into her business without permission


End file.
